Dmitri Hvorostovsky. Romance "Amid a noisy ball". Дмитрий Хворостовский. Романс «Средь шумного бала»

#DmitriHvorostovsky #ДмитрийХворостовский Concert "Tchaikovsky's Romances". 1993. The Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory. Piano: Mikhail Arkadiev. This work is the memory of the lyric hero (that happened indeed to the poet, Alexei Tolstoy) of his first meeting with a delightful stranger. From the poetic plot, we learn that the poet came to the ball, but he was practically not interested in this noisy event: he was immersed in the "ocean" of his own worries and thoughts. But all of a sudden, a charming stranger enters the field of vision of the lyric hero. Her face is hidden under a mask, only expressive eyes full of sadness attract the poet's gaze. The voice of a woman is like music: it resembles either a beautiful pipe or the music of sea waves. The stranger at first sight captivates the heart of the poet. He admires her thin waist and brooding look. The woman's sad and sonorous laughter charmed the lyrical hero. Based on all this, he comes to the conclusion that he involuntarily began to succumb to suddenly surging feelings, but, at the same time, does not dare to admit them to himself. From now on, even in a dream, the lyrical hero is the image of a beautiful stranger, her laughter and charming voice are heard. All these emotions make the hero fall asleep with a feeling of special light sadness: the poet cannot understand whether he loves a stranger or not? For him, love is an incredibly serious and responsible feeling, in relation to which emotions of frivolity and neglect are unacceptable. In this regard, the poet is in constant dialogue with himself, he endlessly reflects, weighing all the pros and cons. As a result of tedious meditation, the hero comes to the unequivocal conclusion that he is in love with a beautiful stranger, whom he accidentally met at the ball.